EFL Cup: High-Flying Bluebirds Are Flying the EFL Flag!

Cardiff City vs Chelsea

League One side Cardiff City are back in the big time on Tuesday when Premier League giants Chelsea head to the Cardiff City Stadium to take on Brian Barry-Murphy’s Bluebirds in the EFL Cup quarter final.

Cardiff were relegated from the Championship last term and they are looking to bounce back at the first attempt, currently top of the league and going well. Each of the other three quarter finals are all Premier League affairs, so this is the clash where a giant killing is possible, and the passionate Welsh crowd will do their best to help to make it happen. 

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is aiming to add to the Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup trophies he picked up last season; and the EFL Cup 2025 betting odds make the Blues the third favourites to win the tournament. The Londoners arguably have the kindest draw but it could turn out to be a nightmare if the jeopardy of cup football plays its part.  

The Bluebirds are representing the EFL and, of course, Wales; and that is a powerful motive.   

 

Talking Points

Cardiff’s route to the quarters

Five league wins on the run have lifted the Bluebirds four points clear of the chasing pack in League One and their EFL Cup 2025 results have been impressive too. Captained by former Arsenal centre back Callum Chambers the Welsh side look destined for a return to the second tier, and winning is a habit, so four victories in the EFL Cup have added to the club’s momentum.      

A 2-1 win over Swindon Town got Cardiff on the way and then in Round 2 the Bluebirds beat Cheltenham Town 3-0, with captain Chambers on target. Round 3 saw Cardiff beat Premier League opposition as they saw off Burnley, racing into a two goal lead in the first half and holding on for a famous 2-1 victory.  

In the Round of 16 the Bluebirds won the Wales Derby, seeing off moneybags Wrexham 2-1 as Yousef Salech scored the opener and, as well as giving Cardiff the bragging rights in Wales, they teed up a money-spinning tie against Premier League opposition. 

 

Player to watch: Yousef Salech  

23 year old Danish striker Salech is joint leader of the League One top scorers list with ten and three assists from 19 games and, since his transfer from Sirius in the Swedish league, he has scored 18 goals in 39 games. And Ziyech has a good partner in Callum Robinson, who climbed off the bench to score his fourth of the season in a 1-0 win over Stevenage in midweek.  

 

Chelsea’s Route to the quarters

The Premier League giants had a pass through the first two rounds of the EFL Cup, and then a youthful Chelsea side won 2-1 away to Lincoln City in Round 3. The Blues then edged out Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 4-3 thriller at Molineux, Jamie Gittens scoring a late goal for Chelsea to settle the Londoners’ nerves after Maresca’s men let a three goal lead slip. 

 

Player to watch: Reece James

Chelsea skipper Reece James has been injured for much of the last two campaigns but he is back, fit and firing, now and he is doing his job on and off the field. James had a meeting with team-mates last week to discuss how they can pick things up, after going four games without a win, losing to Leeds United in the process, and the Blues had a chance to make things right when they met Everton on Saturday, and did so with a 2-0 victory.    

James has been pushed into a midfield role over the last couple of weeks and, from there, he can influence his defence and the front line… and he’ll make himself heard.     

 

History

Cardiff City and Chelsea have met five times with the same outcome on each occasion…a Chelsea victory. The last encounter was a 2-1 win for the Blues in Cardiff, but three of the wins have ended in a 4-1 score-line. 

Cardiff were EFL Cup finalists in 2012 while Chelsea are five times winners of the tournament, on the last occasion in 2015.

They are playing in different worlds but the Bluebirds are in great form, with five wins from their last six outings, while the Blues had two victories in six and were winless in four before they met Everton.     

 

Betting Tip

Bluebirds fans can get SBOTOP odds of 12.00 to win or 6.00 to Draw, with Chelsea at 1.18 to win in normal time. The romance of the cup may play a part and the Blues are not the most consistent of sides. But they will have too much quality for the League One high flyers and, if Maresca’s men get their noses in front they should be able to keep Cardiff at arms length.    

   

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